Sanju Samson (Getty Images)
NEW DELHI: Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has thrown his weight behind Sanju Samson as the future captain of India’s T20I team, saying the wicketkeeper-palter has emerged as a “clear case” for management after his stunning rise last year.Samson, who was one of India’s standout performers in their ICC T20 World Cup 2026 winning campaign and was named player of the tournament, has now been tipped by Shastri as a serious contender to take over the national side in the shortest format possible over the next two to three years. Speaking to The ICC Review, Shastri said that India may have to plan for a change of leadership before the next T20 World Cup in 2028, with current captain Suryakumar Yadav turning 37 by then.“India, the next (T20) World Cup (in 2028), may be looking for a new captain, depending on how Surya does in the next few years,” Shastri said.The former India all-rounder believes that Samson has already strengthened his position due to his previous management experience with Rajasthan Royals and his rising status in the Indian batting line-up.“But Sanju Samson has put himself in a leadership role there because he has done that for Rajasthan in the past,” Shastri said. “And he’s a certainty, at the top of the order, extremely destructive. So I see him, this is just the beginning of something else you’re going to see from Sanju over the next two or three years.”Samson led Rajasthan Royals for five seasons of the IPL and led them to the final in 2022, strengthening his credentials as captain. But it is his recent transformation into a match-winner on the international stage that has convinced Shastri.“But my word this season, the way he’s played after his performance in the T20 World Cup where he almost won India matches by himself – big matches, quarter-finals, semi-finals, finals – and the way he’s progressed and the maturity he’s showing now in the IPL makes him a clear case for future leadership,” he said.
What aspect of Sanju Samson’s game do you think contributed most to his captaincy potential?
Shastri also said that the 31-year-old Samson has finally silenced lingering doubts about his consistency.“I think he covered all the question marks. The ability was always there. People would actually be disappointed because he wouldn’t live up to that ability,” Shastri added.
